Sting
by Cuttingclass-ics
Summary: When Red X is stuck in a snowy Moscow the last person he expected brings a little heat to his delicate relationship with the mob. Can he help Starfire on her personal agenda or is he setting them both up for failure?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello I am back expect some spontaneous updates and my need for reviews to stay motivated! Thank YOU for reading!**

Going from California to Russia in the dead middle of winter is not something I would ever recommend. It was just the place I found my dumb ass in right now. I would also never recommend joining the Russian Mob, but I was way past that point. It hadn't exactly been my first point, but I needed a way out of Jump fast. My initial plan had been get smuggled to Russia and sneak off to the West see Italy, France, whatever place had that fancy chocolate. The literal feet of snow that fell overnight had thrown a rather large wrench in that plan, but summer had to come I hope.

I had not mastered the Russian language, but the one contact I had Anton knew English well enough to save my ass. Being a security detail was below myself and my suit, but better than having my pound of flesh being taken by Dr . He had gotten a tracker on me in my last robbery and I was without a safe house by the time I was able to pry it off my belt. He was more of a threat with his team working on ways to peel off my skin with the suit. Resources plus crazy were not always a good cocktail to interact with. There were better stores of Zynothium in Belarus anyway so it just was a matter of finding a map and determining where the hell that country was. Geography was never my strong point. My Russian had expanded to yes along with thank you. That's all they really wanted to hear anyway when I was working a job. I understood more of it, but wasn't even going to try and read it. Why didn't everyone have the same alphabet?

My one saving grace had been the fact that Moscow as we currently were in for some personal business had both a Mcdonalds and a Subway. I had lucked out since I had learned that most Russian food was not a great selling point. It was fine in a eat or die from starvation scenario, but it was going to be an accustomed craving. Though that baklava wasn't that hard to swallow.

My suit heating system was also not entirely ideal. It trapped my body heat, but it was not designed with intention to hit subzero temperatures. I wasn't freezing to death, but I felt the cold in an entirely new kind of intensity. It was like biting into a frozen popsicle with your two front teeth. When you first stepped out you got shivers and pain, but you learned to deal. I was almost tempted to get a fur coat since that's apparently acceptable when the temp dips 20 or more below. I just still had a tinge of that Californian mindset where I was worried some crazy vegan would throw red paint on me for wearing it. I made do with what I had and a water resistant duster when we were out walking in heavy snowfall. I had gone from a boy who had never seen snow to being up to my ankles in it. It still had a bit of wonder to it for me. Partly since it meant that it was a warmer day when the fat flakes that looked like popcorn would fall. It was more fragile and inconvenient than the movies made it out to be. My boots had fair traction, but a bit of black ice on the sidewalk could make anyone fall squarely on their ass. It had happened to me a little more than the rest, but they just called me the "Californian" whenever I did anything. I asked to avocado, I didn't naturally walk in snow, I didn't know how to play curling, and I still took time to style my hair even if my face was concealed under my Red X mask.

My boy Anton had helped me a lot and I owed him one, but he had gotten promoted up when someone got shot or hit by a car. I still didn't have a solid grip on what happened , but they told it very extra. I suspected more people knew English than they were letting on, but so far my main source of information was a dude they called the "Horse". I didn't feel the need to expand on how he got that nickname, it was either dirty or lame. I had no clue his actual name, but he was a bit of a jerk so I was down to stick to calling him something simple. He was the one who gave commands on what we were doing and what was expected out of me. They were not actively working on stealing so I just added intimidation factor and numbers with security. Once personal business was concluded we would be preparing for a bigger hit for blackmail. They weren't as interesting in raiding and robbing people just wanted to ensure that they remained high enough on a pedestal. They liked being able to walk around and not worry about anyone busting them. It was strangely satisfying to not have any fucks if the police drove past me in a full on super villain suit. They were not going to do shit as long as I stayed where I was at. Though I didn't blame them for not wanting to fuck with the boss man.

He was simply called boss, but he was given the title of "Stalin Lite" by the crew. He was a meta, where he had bones that were made out of steel. His hair was alarmingly blonde and he stood at 6 foot 7 or 2 meters since people used the metric system around here. He knew English as well and was quite sociable, but I didn't know how much I wanted to be buddy-buddy with a man who had a tire iron for a femur. He liked my costume and what I could do. He also liked that I was so small it made him look even more looming. He kept me close and comfortable which was better than I expected. I just could never forget that I was only here since he had strangled the guy who had my place before him. I just needed to stay on his good side until I could get a way West and hopefully an area with more signs in English.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Wonderful People! I need a Beta since I am just catching mistakes after I post. Thank YOU for reading!**

I knew that the one thing that would stick with me after I left Russia would be Techno music. It just was a relentless hum in the club and that was where the boss man spent most of his time when he could. Though he didn't stay in the actual club. He had his own room and often he would vanish from it. I wasn't tight enough with him to know where he actually went, but got stuck at the door to make it absolutely clear no drunk patrons should cross that doorway. I had Horse as a partner which was okay since he did most of the talking and would let me in the know when it was something he decided to make me privy to such as whether a person was famous. Though my position made it so there was little to no break from the Techno. I would still hear it when I got few hours to sleep, it was a steady thump behind my eyelids. Though the one thing that made Techno more tolerable was when they would have a nice set of ladies take the stage and start dancing. It was a big draw of the club and I did enjoy the show, but even that got tiring. Everything was tiring here, but at least I was alive and safe enough.

I was also surprised by how popular Bossman actually was. I was not in charge of the list or password, but it seemed like at least 200 people entered that room and none came out. I never saw him come out either, when it his 4 am and the club closed we were dismissed and I would crash on whatever surface was available. Our room could have 8 to 14 people depending on if a poker game was going on. I never got a bed but sometimes I was able to nab the couch. The floor was carpeted when I didn't get there in time. I had hit a point that sleeping on the floor next a heating vent could be a peak of my day. There was always random people in the hotel room we shared. I didn't even take off my suit now, it had fused to me since I barely had a moment of privacy. My body odor was present, but I had at least tried to apply deodorant instead of whatever goat piss musk my comrades were dousing themselves with. The hot water was incredibly limited and with the temperatures outside there was no chance I was going to risk a cold shower.

I was almost ready to just bail and hit up the embassy since I had traveled without a passport, but I remembered I didn't really have anywhere to go. There wasn't anything but a buried box for me in Jump. I could cash in the suit and have enough capital to buy a new life, but I was quite attached at this point. I couldn't imagine putting this into anyone else's hands one dumbass would try and steal a nuke and my dream house would lose property value from nuclear fallout. It was better I worked for a time and learned how to play poker. My mask gave me an excellent poker face, but my knowledge of the game was limited. I knew full house and a pair, but learning the differences between the flushes and straights needed to happen for me. I also needed to do that black mail job and get reimbursed for my services.

In a bit of luck from the universe I was sparred from night club guard. I had only gotten four hours of sleep, but I rather work in an environment without that blasting bass and whir. I was working security for a brunch with Stalin Lite's brother's fiancée. I got to sit and even pretend to not be eavesdropping on their conversation. This conversation had more codeswitching between Russian and something else. I almost suspected that they were the couple since it was the most friendly and touchy I had seen the Boss man with a woman. In the time I had observed him, his interactions with people was far from affectionate and women who tried to flirt he often literally pushed aside. Now he was slicing her steak into little pieces and had trapped her in a long embrace when they first met.

Did I blame him for being attracted to his brother's fiancée? Fuck no. She could possibly be the most beautiful woman in Russia with curly blonde locks and a body that was almost too perfect to be real. Her peplum dress and pearls gave her an aura of class and a really good taste at her figure. Green eyes that had a spark that burned. She had given me a wink laced with mischief when she caught sight of me. It was almost like there was an inside joke that she wanted to keep me in on. It was almost off putting to have a female give me any kind of attention in the skull mask. I was mostly used to looks of uneasiness and often disgust. I really wanted to know what they were saying since I felt that would give me insight into what was going on with her. Though even if I did not know Russian I would not get everything. He kept whispering in her ear and she would erupt into a fit of giggles. The restaurant had been cleared for their reservation so the sound traveled.

We actually had been given food which I ate. The sausage and scramble was quite good and might be the best thing I had gotten in a non-American restaurant. There was also faint music that I recognized as Bach from my limited days in Middle School band. I had played the Clarinet, the coolest of all instruments. It wasn't Green Day or Ed Sheeran, but I would take it over what else I had been listening to. She had a set of body guards that were sitting directly across from us. One of her larger fellows gave me a very deep stink eye. I had no clue who he was, but he had an idea of who I was. There was no exchange of words while working which was the expectation so I couldn't ask him what his problem was.

Then in what was likely the most dramatic event of the day, the waiter that was bringing them fruit and whipped cream made a move. In a very quick move he had a gun directly at the fiancée's temple. I could not see her face directly in reaction to this, but her gaurds did not move a muscle. My partner pulled a gun but quickly put it back as the waiter started shouting. I calculated the distance needed to teleport safely and with a click of my belt I teleported to their booth. I was tucked under the waiters gun arm, but I grabbed her and teleported her to behind the security screen that could now do their jobs. Her security fired off their rounds and emptied their clips. The waiter's shirt had quickly morphed from a pristine white to a crimson. Boss man had not moved out of the way of gunfire. He was apparently pretty safe from bullets with that steel skeleton of his.

While I had not let her go from my grip I was distracted from the gunfire to realize she had wrapped herself around me for safety. She was taller than me which was a bit of a disappointment since everyone around here was taller than me. She was also incredibly warm. Like warmer than anyone had a right to be in this crazy winter. It wasn't until Boss man pulled her out of my embrace that I realized how good it had felt to save her and have a human being touch me. I was a hero at heart, and goodness was I glad her brains were not as scrambled as my eggs.


	3. Chapter 3

During my briefing of this job, I had been warned that the person I would be impersonating was someone quiet close to the mark. I had not expected that my supposed future brother in law would be nibbling on my ear. I wished I had asked more questions to Annika before she went into witness protection. I was not offended by the human contact, but I was a little off put by such affection from a brother of a said suitor. There was a little more of a line between sibling's property on Tamaran and in the United States, but maybe here there was less of a taboo. I had gotten a quick study on the culture and language, but most of my play acting would be based on the improv class I had to take. Always say yes.

Though the always say yes mentality could get tricky with a familiar face that could potentially recognize my voice. I had picked up Annika's accent and some of her vocal fry, but with Red X in the equation any movement or English word said with too much of myself could set me into peril of being identified. I really didn't think I would see any familiar faces beyond Red Star this far into Russia. He was not supposed to be here. Why was he here at all?

I had not gone to the CIA, they had come to me for my language acquisition skills and mental catalogue of non-Terran species. They had heard rumors of a young male Tamaranian and I could not get it out of my head that it could be Wildfire. No one had a clue where he was since he wasn't on Tamaran or still in Gordian custody. He could be here and if finding him required me to deal with a steel boned Terran play footsie with me under the table, stepped on toes were a small price to pay.

Peter as I had been told to call him by the real Annika, was not a terrible looking human. If I did not have the assurance that he was a meta human not partial extraterrestrial, I would believe he had some Wallian blood in him with his white hair, light blue eyes and impressive height. His brother, Adrian, that I was to be marrying was of a different father and a much different appearance. He maintained his height, but his features were much darker and harsher. He was busy partying in Japan and agents were there to ensure he stayed occupied. He was more than happy to be entertained so he was not a huge risk if I could finish this up in my three week time range.

What I was now getting impatient for was the display we were staging in an attempt to have Peter feel like I was being threatened directly. If he was afraid for my safety in public he would likely give me more time alone with him in private. I would be able to coax more vital information out of him when he was not serving a mask to his underlings. I had been told that he was quite open in a hot tub with six drinks in him by Annika. She had winked at me when she had said that so I knew from context clues he was handsy in that same case.

It was almost a comfort when I felt the cool metal of a barrel made connection with my temple. He had been going on about how he couldn't believe that his brother had let me wander alone in such a big city. His habit of cutting my meal into small pieces was reminscicent of a courtship ritual on Tamaran. It was an intimate thing to prepare another's meal into savoring bites instead a of a chunk of mass. It was another thing that set me a little on edge.

"Your father deserves to know the pain I have." Was what we had instructed agent Dollox to repeat. He gave it adequate passion. He was covered in blood packs to be burst once his script was said and the tension in Peter was palpable. Annika's father was an ex-KGB that was quite infamous for his leaving no witnesses even if they were children. He used to drop babies from rooftops according to the report and it would make sense that a strike to my persona's father would be attempted on my life.

The fact Red X was there was already screwing things up since he teleported me out of the booth and Red Star along with agent Vaskevitch had to act early. I had not been teleported by anyone but Raven and Harold so this was a bit jarring. I was annoyed that he was a hitch, but I had to go with what I was given. He had done what anyone else in the Titans would do in a hostage circumstance. Save my life so I tried not to be too upset with his actions. They were his job.

I put my best grateful and scared face on and clutched him tight before whispering thank you in Russian and running into Peter's arms. I put on a good tremble and let a few tears come out of my eyes onto his shirt as I let him whisper promises that I was safe. He had no reaction to the gun fire which alerted us to the fact he was confident his frame made bullets less of a concern to a fatal shot. From the file I knew he had walked away from many shoot outs and assassination attempts. That would not be how I would be eliminating him after my three weeks were up. That was my timeline, discover everything I could and end him when his brother was set to return so he would take the reigns. He was much more malleable and the CIA would shape him how ever was needed in his moments of freedom from an engagement and a controlling brother.

"I will keep you safe." He said in a tone and adjusted me so I was tucked under his arm. It was impressive to some extent that he towered over me since most men I interacted with could not. Superman and Batman were people that my height allowed me to look them in the eye. He was taller than them and most other Terrans. Peter turned to Red X and shouted at him in English.

"Red X you will be assigned to guarding Annika day and night. Since her guards are obviously insufficient." He said and let a nasty sneer take his face as he looked at my agents turned body guards. He told me the exact same sentence in Russian since Annika was not fluent in English only Russian, French and a few other phrases from Japan. I let my trembling cease as my brain tried to think of a way to not have myself be tailed by Red X and have the plan accomplish it's objective.

"I would feel much safer by your side, Peter." I said in Russian the most sincere way possible. He looked down at me and kissed my forehead. That was a truly weird gesture since it had only been done by Galfore. He gave me another squeeze before releasing me entirely.

"What I shall be doing here will also put you in danger, my dove." He said in Russian and I knew that any continued arguing would be out of character.

"Is he safe?" I whispered in his ear trying to show that I was not trusting of strangers. I debated shoving a hand on his pants pocket, but I had been reprimanded by Robin that was a sexually aggressive move. Annika was not on an aggressive person who shied from conflicts and would rarely speak unless spoken too. She had not been such things when I met her, but she had willingly gave up this life by then. She was ready to speak and swear along with kill those who had been her future family. I had enjoyed her company, but she had warned me that the version of herself that Peter knew and expected could be maddening.

"He's American." He said and looked over to Red X. "He also has an excellent suit for evading danger. You can also work on your English." He said and laughed a small laugh. Red X was a blank slate due to his mask, but I knew my facial expression told him how disappointed this arrangement made me.


	4. Chapter 4

While I was stoked to get a way out of my techno music nightmares, Annika's face told me I might be entering a new one. She looked like she was plotting a way to push me out of a window by the time she stopped blubbering into Boss man's armpit. Boss man let her go and approached me.

"Annika's English is as good as your Russian so you should work on your Russian and help her with English. I will not be available to take her to the show tonight as planned so you will take her. Keep her in your sight and keep her out of harms way at all costs. All costs." He said and handed me a literal wad of roubles, enough that you could purchase a terribly made car. He also handed me an envelope of ballet tickets. Okay yeah how long would it take me to miss the thump of electronically produced trills.

"Understood." I said which was the right answer since he gave me a genuine shoulder squeeze.

" If you don't I'll mark your grave with that letter you are so fond of." He said in English before switching back to Russian for Annika. He gave me another squeeze that made me feel the steel of his bones. He kissed her forehead and said something that sounded apologetic before gesturing to me in a flourishing hand movement like I was a fancy new toy on display.

She walked over to me and looked down at my mask before nodding and walking out the restaurant door. I was annoyed by her height and the way it automatically made me feel under her thumb. Though I really felt dwarfed when her other private guard. I mean did they make everyone here supersized ? Did they eat people under 6 foot?

"English?" I asked kinda doubtful I would get a response, but Mr. Glare nodded. The lack of verbal confirmation had me doubtful it was quite comprehensive, but it was a chance that I wouldn't have to play charades every second in her presence. I would likely try and google translate more Russian phrases once it was safe for me to glance at my phone. I had learned that looking at my phone while on guard duty often resulted in it getting slapped out of my hand. That Otterbox case was always worth the money I swear.

Mr. Glare lead us out of the restaurant and back to the hotel on foot. It was fucking snowing so I was suffering, but only the other guard seemed the slightest bit bothered by the snowflakes and literal freezing temperatures we were voluntarily enduring. Luckily the hotel was only two blocks away so it would have been truly stupid to stand around and wait for a car or drive.

This hotel was much nicer than the one I had been staying at. The lobby smelled like some sort of spice and artificial fabric smell. They were making an effort to appear clean and the furniture matched a weird gold theme. We went straight to the elevator and as I was taking in the surroundings I almost had the doors close on me. In Russia I had learned that the elevator doors do not stop closing if a person is in the way, they keep crushing. I also did not miss the fact Annika seemed disappointed I had not been left behind. It was a good thing I had made the cut since the floor we were going up to would have been a pain via stairs. She was going all the way up. The elevator was also painfully slow where conversation would of almost been welcome, but instead it was filled with me getting sized up by the other occupants. My suit didn't have great peripheral vision as I was facing the doors, but I knew from a feminine humph and a grunt of judgement that a conversation was occurring behind my back. Wow hey high school glad to be back.

It was a relief when the doors opened and we were presented with only one door as an option. I had only been in penthouses when I was stealing from them so this would also be another adjustment. Though the thing that would really be an adjustment would being able to live in a space with multiple rooms. The first thing I noticed was three visible doors which signaled a private bedroom and likely a spare. There was also ample seating with a freaking hot tub by the window. That would be a big big goal once Annika passed out so I could actually get some warmth to my core. My suit wasn't something you wore in a hot tub if you actually wanted to enjoy it. The room was weirdly decorated with a mix match of classic and futuristic like two interior decorators got into a fight and left their carnage behind. Though the old-style couch looked quite more appealing and cushioned than the cookie cutter stank lump that I had sometimes managed to nab. I went to go take door duty, but the non-English speaker had already taken that post. That left me in the same room as the Heather's, great. I decided it might be better to establish what I was responsible for doing tonight.

"I have tickets for the ballet which is at 7. I don't know exactly where it is, but we should likely get a car." I said not evening looking at Annika and more at tall guy. He nodded which gave me no further faith in his ability to translate. I set the tickets on the coffee table being sure that she at least witnessed there was tickets.

She then said something in rapid tone at me for sure since her arm gestured to me. The other guy who I still had not received a name for yet, gave a snort and a small headshake. Though when he did open his mouth English did come out.

"She would like to encourage you to bathe." She said something else and he said something back that almost seemed sheepish. "Your smell is noticeable."

"Well I will get on that, Your Highness. Thank you?" I wasn't that offended since I definitely could not remember my last shower, but it was still rude. I would never be that rude to someone else. I felt slightly better that the dude wasn't trying to be overtly an asshole. I also was happy to know that his English was understandable. Super accented, but I could still understand what he was trying to get across.

"My name has a familiar start to it, my codename also has a Red to it. Though I have learned you Americans just love to call me Comrade. So feel free." He said and I realized that he had been likely labeled due to his copper hair that I got to see once his hat came off. He also seemed quite comfortable that Americans were a country of propaganda filled jerks most of the time. It made things easier. I gave him my signature salute before trying doors until I found one that was actually the bathroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I may have rinsed and repeated four times, but my hair was getting shaggy. There was also hot water and I felt myself truly beginning to thaw for maybe the first time since being in Russia. I was almost tempted to stay in the stream until all of it was gone, but I didn't want to end on an icy blast. I knew I smelt so much better because there was a true layer of dead skin that had formed beneath the suit like when you have a cast and it has no where to go. Being naked was something I had neglected in that packed room and I let myself stay longer to air dry. I debated staying in a little longer after that, but knew that it must be getting close to time to leave for the theatre. I dressed in my suit since that was all I had with me. Might not be the most appropriate thing, but hell who was going to stop me when I even had a cape.

When I left the bathroom I immediately noticed that no one was in the living room. It also was incredibly quiet which was a little suspicious since normally I could sync up to heart beats and breathing when I was security detail. The tickets were still where I left them which was a good sign that I wasn't ditched. I mean they could of completely gone off schedule and left me in the dust, but that wasn't my problem. I decided to look at the guard that was posted outside to see if he had an idea where they were. It didn't matter much, but I would like to at least do my job in the bare minimum in case Bossman called.

The dude posted at the door was much older than I had first assumed, but to my luck he had enough English to say "smoke break". I hadn't smelt any cigarette smoke on either of them when we first were introduced, but it seemed to be a common enough habit. I had considered picking it up, but I was still traumatized from all the ads back in America. Diseased lungs no thank you. I went back inside and started to snoop. There was two separate bedrooms and the Gucci luggage in the master gave some indication of where she would be sleeping. My duffle was in the other room next to two others that were in much better shape. Mine must have been delivered while I was in the shower. There was also two twin beds and I knew I would have my own bed. With someone up at all times two beds would be more than enough. I couldn't resist laying down for a second before I heard giggles and a hearty laugh explode from the living room. I sprung up and pressed my ear to the door as they had some sort of conversation. It wasn't in English, but it sounded happy from all the giggles and then there was a loud thunk. I rushed out the door to see what had happened and saw a very tall read headed man laying on his back on the floor and helping Annika take off her shoes with a broken heel. He looked up at me when I opened the door.

"She is clumsy in heels." He stated as he went to a more dignified position and she gave a little kick to his back in retaliation. He grabbed her leg and suddenly she was on the ground with him. I half expected her to cry or get upset. She surprised me in the fact she simply huffed and said something in Russian that sounded familiar before helping him get to his feet. Her grin did not last once she looked at me. Her face went blank and all sense of reading her vanished. She made a 4 out of her fingers before she went back to her room barefoot. I raised my eyebrows at Comrade, but I knew he would only see a minor shift in any. That seemed way more friendly contact than what I would be allowed. I looked at the time and noticed that we really did not have a lot of time to spare so I hoped that the 4 minutes was an accurate estimate.

"Is that normal ?" I asked even though it wasn't my business. If she was Bossman's brother's fiancée it would be good to know if she was that friendly with everyone. That could be a problem having an overly friendly charge.

"I am a rare case." He said simply and went to grab the tickets off the table and grab her coat that had been hung up on the chair. She entered in a lovely black velvet gown that dripped luxury all the way to the floor. A simple pearl choker matched some pearl hair pins that her blond hair had been restrained up into an updo by. She stepped into her coat like a rehearsed motion and just walked out the door like she didn't have an entourage that had to keep up with her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While I had expected the ballet to be a boring experience that would just give me a chance to catch a nice snooze, I was quite mistaken. The ballet was called Giselle which I had not heard of prior so I had no clue what it was about. Though they had English programs and the taste of understanding was something I could not pass up. Once I knew the storyline the dancing and music seemed perfectly paired for the drowning. It was so tragic and so beautiful, and while I had been distracted by how tight the men in tights were and how small the women were, I could respect ballet as an art. It took super strength to have that balance and be able to hold positions. It was moving of you actually watched. Though at some parts I watched Annika trying to see her reactions. Her resting bitchface had stayed frozen since she changed, but in the dim lights as Giselle died of heartbreak I saw a small drop of water roll down her face.


	5. Chapter 5

I was going a little stir crazy now that the plans we had laid in place had fallen apart. I knew Red Star or well Constantin(his actual name) as I would have to refer to him as Annika would be feeling similar so I tried to convince him that we needed to go out for a fly. It was a bit of a risk to fly in Moscow during the day, but the blizzard would give us cover until we broke the cloud cover.

It was an unspoken thing between us that we needed to make sure he didn't have power build up. He had gotten much better control, but it was important that he had an outlet when we could and his anger wasn't surging at any point. I don't know what I would be doing without him here. He was going to be a huge crutch as I was isolated here, until I found my brother, now he was going to be a huge help in keeping Red X out of the loop. He and I had been able to become better friends in training. It was useful since we had complimentary abilities so we had been prime sparring partners. He also had a humbleness and sweetness that I clung to as it was hard being without my Titans. He also provided extraordinarily talented hugs. His self isolation for years had made him treasure our friendship more and it was full of hugs. It was purely platonic since he was too afraid to be romantic with his abilities and I still had my own complications back home... They had not all agreed with my actions to team up with the CIA, but most understood that I would do anything to save my brother. Most.

I wondered what Robin would think if he knew that I would be hanging out with Red-X on a consistent basis. Would it make it any better between us if I brought back his suit? If he screwed up this operation for us, maybe. I just felt a little weird since he did make a move to save my life. It was never in any danger, but he had the intent to save me. It was his job, but it still was a wonder for me that he was in a place our paths would cross. They would be crossing a lot now that we were practically in the same house.

The penthouse had the benefit of a hot tub and easy access to the roof. It was important we were above the ozone layer so Red Star's powers would be absorbed by the atmosphere. We also would not be visible to those below. Even without cloud cover we were specks to the human eye. We typically went up on our own, but connected on our way down so we landed in the same place. I had better reentry abilities so it worked out well. I had taken off my holoring and tucked it into the corner of the rooftop. It would make much more sense if Starfire was seen flying in passing than my cover. I didn't have a mirror so I couldn't watch the dramatic change, but just seeing my hand as my true hands was a comfort. My Starbolts would melt the ring so it was made very clear to me I had to not use them in cover. Though I wanted to at least express some of my nerves.

"He was shorter than I anticipated, but being Robin's height makes sense." Red Star said once we met in the lower orbit. He had been trying to get me to give him details. One thing that social isolation gave you was a craving for gossip.

"I have not seen him in a long time. Though most people are short compared to us." I said and let a starbolt form in my hand to just let it build.

"So will you continue to use me as your translator?" He said as I noticed that he was doing flips and twirls in the air.

"I intend to not speak to him much. He is not my target. I do not believe he would recognize my voice, but I rather not risk it." I let my beach ball sized starbolt be setted up towards the stars. A directed red beam hit the center and it dissipated. I was on target duty since it was easier for me to do so. It was important that we didn't dislodge any satellites, but there was not a great deal of damage we could cause in the emptiness.

"I thought that he was a better guy. At least in the labeling system." He said and I knew that was true since the briefcase incident, Red X had been listed under questionable ally rather than foe.

"He is a big flirt which should be in that file. Though I don't think he is truly a criminal." I said and then in a hope to shift my focus, I sent a volley of starbolts to his right. He fired and got five out of the seven. I did the same number to his left and he was more successful.

"Everyone flirts with you, Starfire." He said and he then flew up next to me and took my hand that was forming a starbolt I had yet to decide a target.

"Not everyone, you don't." I said and then he gave me a twirl with the hand I had grabbed. Red and green light surrounded both of us as turned me around. We looked like a Christmas tornado.

"I would not know how to flirt if they wrote books on it. Though I would…if we were not such complicated people." He said and I knew that he was lonely so I let my twirling to turn into a waltz, he was quick to do this whenever we were alone and could just dance. I knew that he likely did not actually wish to date me, but he was more correct that I was almost as complicated in relationships as he was. Robin had ended things when I told him I had to leave, but my heart had not fully accepted that. He wanted to not hold me back, but in letting me go it had hurt me. Red Star had low control in such intimate affairs he had politely disclosed, he was scared of what his strong emotions could do. I hoped that in time and further control practice he could find someone who would inspire such emotions.

"I believe this may count. Beast Boy believes you have moves." I said and in a move I liked to do I dipped him back as I took lead. I guided him around a little more as he laughed at my switch.

"Aqualad has moves and lines. Though I must say your moves are improving at leading." He said and let me twirl him once more. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you." I said and actually felt it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you Sandbar and Miss Geek for your wonderful reviews! Also thank you to everyone who favorited! I am home and bored so keep checking back in for more regular updates. **

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but I am sure it was way more hours than I should have. We had gotten back home close to midnight and Comrade took the night shift at the door so I could sleep. I wasn't sure if I was just so unaccustomed to human decency or if Comrade was just naturally charming, but he might be my favorite person in this world. I also knew that he definitely let me sleep in. Apparently a whole 4 hours worth of sleeping in. I needed to find him an application for Sainthood.

I got up and peeked out the door to find that there was no one in the living room. I ventured out and opened the door to find my redheaded bro. I was ready to relieve him from duty, but apparently there was another plan.

"Good Morning, you appeared that you were also deprived of sleep." He said and then a yawn erupted out of my mouth which gave that statement some validity. It was always weird yawning or burping in the mask since the vocal distortion made it sound like a robot.

"Thank you, yeah it's been a bit." I went to stand on the opposite side of the door frame.

"She's going to be going out in 15 minutes so you might want to get some food." He warned as I started to get settled.

"Well I am sure that will go great. Where?" I said the first part more to myself since I didn't know the other agents name nor thought either could speak enough English to hold a conversation.

"It is just shopping. Though you may wish to have some coffee before Vaskevitch finishes it off." I gave him my salute and went back through the door to see what was in the little kitchenette I had previously ignored. I did not have much skill in cooking, and hotels normally did not have much besides overpriced liquor and nuts in the fridge. This one did have a nice coffee machine and it was a Keurig which meant even I could work it. It was by the cup, but five out of the six provided cups were used. I hope Blondie wasn't hoping to get a cup herself since I took away that option. It was a lighter blend than what I preferred but I was actually running on sleep instead of solely caffeine.

I knew there was another guy in the room, but I wasn't going to look for him. If he wasn't sleeping when I woke up then he was likely doing his own business. With two bathrooms in the hotel room there was the lack of that anxiety of being rushed or being without options with the door locked. If I got more communication than a stink eye from my charge this would be a perfect job, but life is rarely perfect.

My fellow security man with a very tricky name that started with a V was closer than a thought since he suddenly appeared to my left putting his mug in the sink. The sound of the tap turning on was the only sound he made as he must of entered the room and got real near me. I thought I was the one with teleporting abilities.

"Hi" was my eloquent response at my sudden awareness of his presence. He was bald which was not something I had first noticed since everyone wore hats with the temperatures. I mean he probably had a secondary reason, but it looked like he shaved his head out of choice rather than escaping the genetic curse of relying on combovers.

He did not say anything which I was going to bet it was more a language thing than a purposeful ignoring your presence thing. I just sipped my coffee from my half flipped up mask as he just went to knock on the master bedroom. She knocked back twice which I assumed was her great nonverbal departure time skills again. I mean if we were leaving to do things at 10 am she was not that lazy nor did she spend all day picking her outfits and getting her make up right. She still looked good what she was able to accomplish the night before in that little time was a talent. Quick changes were an essential part of being a suit so I could respect that ability in others. It took me seven seconds to get in the suit and 4 ½ to get out. Yes I had timed it.

In about two minutes or five deep sips there sprung out Annika. She kind of reminded me of those terrible 90s romcoms since even if she barely tolerated my presence it was like perfect lighting followed her. In this setting I noticed she did have some Slavic features in her jaw and that olive tan without sun coloring. Though the blonde hair and green hair made her a little more striking than the average club girl. It also looked natural or she paid a fuck ton of money on it. I had a cousin who spent more than her rent on going platinum blonde. Though while I was looking at her in her stupid perfect selfie lighting she had fixed in on me. I still had my mask flipped half up which meant she got a great shot at my growing stubble and likely coffee mustache. So sexy huh? Though I was growing a little uncomfortable at the intensity like she was memorizing it. I wore a mask to not get my face posted on Americas most wanted. You never want to pick a chick up off a wanted poster. Yeah this was a little much for me.

"You can take a picture gorgeous, I know it's a rare sighting to see some handsome men around here." I said hoping that my flirt would be rebuffed. It was a gift and a curse to have so many lines in my head. While I wasn't fully convinced she understood what I said she did look a little embarrassed when I rolled the mask to fully cover my face. Though that turned into a glare and she moved on to leaving the room. She was wearing some booties and jeans with so many rhinestones on them so she could actually move with some speed. She had one of those bags that Cardi B liked on the couch that she scooped and she was off without a coat. I set my mug down ready to run down the hall after her, but Comrade had turned her back around to get her a jacket and a scarf that had been on the set of hooks on the door. She looked upset, but he wrapped the scarf around his own neck and flung one of the halves back in a dramatic fashion. She smiled at him and stole her scarf back. He gave me a look and me along with other security dude got close enough to just trail her out of the door.

"Good Luck." Is what I think I heard Comrade say as I left and without him to control her temper I might need it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shopping in Russia was not that much different than any where else besides the fact I was really not welcomed with my mask. The first store that we went to had a sign happy manager that made it very clear that he had a problem with my face not being visible for his cameras. It was a liquor store so I just waited outside in the cold as she made her selections. When V-dude whose name I still was not 100% on came out with two huge paper bags I was a little concerned. Alcoholic charge was a messy one, but it was at least something I would be able to skim off the top. I wasn't that much of a drinker back home(stoner), but here sometimes it helped with being okay after seeing a dude get shot in the face. Though waiting out in the could standing in place had tanked my body temperature. It wasn't snowing at the moment, but it was just so cold.

It was a bit easier in the clothing stores since Annika was able talk rationally to the manager. I caught a few words in Russian, but I was just happy to be in a room that had heat. I think she had witnessed my shivering as she came out of the first store. Though being in these high end stores had an extra bonus of having some mental stimulation. I didn't have great pockets to discreetly steal some of those ridiculously expensive silk scarves or rings. I hadn't been aware of what she was after when we started, but it appeared to be shoes. It was the first thing she went after at each store she went to, where a sales attendant surrounded her in a wall of shoes. I noticed a few distinctive brands since anyone can recognize Louis Vuitton's, but some just seemed like modern art more than a thing to put your foot into. I did give her some space so she did not get any leery impressions off my masked face. I did not need to learn the translation for creep in Russian.

We went through half a dozen stores and luckily she had her purchases rung up and delivered so that my arms were left free from the bags that were starting to add up. It was nice to not be burdened from that since I wasn't sure I would be able to teleport fast enough if it came to it. There was a lingerie store that I was simply given a look and V-dude handed her a gun and she went in by herself. He looked a little red in the face so I assumed that it was a bit embarrassing on his end. It looked a bit more extreme than a general Victoria Secret so I doubted that my innuendo's would have remained contained. Though to her credit she did not take long, but it was enough for the silence to get awkward and my chill to return. She had a bag this time which she did not offer up to be carried though I feel that the shoulder check she gave as she turned back to the hotel was unnecessary.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the hotel where I had expected to see Comrade asleep, but he was perched within the hot tub with a mountain of bags on the couch from all the purchases beating us home. He looked very comfortable and more ripped than I initially expected. He looked a little too ripped for me to assume it was all natural, but I was not going to call out a dude for needing a little juice. I mean that was one of the few things I knew about Russian athletes or Russia in general.

He did offer a wave as we entered, but he had some loud classical musical playing as well that seemed to be relaxing if it wasn't so loud and bass filled. Annika found the stereo remote and lowered it down so it was not rattling the room. V-dude started to get glasses down and poured two fingers worth of surprisingly Jack Daniels for the four of us. Yes I had expected Vodka, but it was nice to see a familiar wax seal. I had drank Daniels before though maybe not this much without coke to dilute it. Annika immediately downed her glass like it was a shot instead of a half glass of whisky. Though she was polite enough to carry Comrade his glass. I had to walk over the kitchen to get mine. I overheard them chatting away and when I glanced back over she was rubbing his really tight looking shoulders. I was confident that I was straight and was cool with just admitting other dudes had attractive qualities, but Comrade looked like he had been made in a factory and it appeared Annika was quite taken with him. The dude was getting served whisky in a hot tub while a hot chick rubbed his shoulder and neck where he was too tall for the jets. Maybe I needed to ask him about his lines.

Though the whisky was perfect thing to eliminate the remaining chill since I was not going to automatically join Comrade in a hot tub. I did not have any trunks which was a flaky excuse, but stripping down and being compared to him was not a goal. I was confident enough in myself, but I did not need to do that to my brain. I also was not feeling confident in losing my mask. It made me feel more secure in letting the mystery of my appearance hold power. I also likely still looked like trash since I hadn't shaved and my hair was well past grown. I caught Annika staring at me again with my mask partly lifted and I almost wanted to ask her what she was looking at since if I had a pimple on my chin that would be the cherry on top of my bodily existential crisis cake. I decided to have fun with her instead and started to drag my mask slightly up. I mouthed the words "watch me". I did it slow, but she stayed focused as my mask went up to expose the bottom of my nose and a little more before completely covering my face back up. I shot her my two finger salute just to kind of rub in my joke. Instead of getting embarrassed like I expected, she left her snuggling of Comrade and walked straight up to me. In a move that really was faster than I had predicted her of making she grabbed me by the belt. She unlatched my belt in a fluid motion which was impressive since the latch was a bit complex.

"I can play games as well." She said in fucking English. It was highly accented English, but it made me concerned all my little comments had been understood in the stores. She set the belt down gently on the counter and grabbed the glass of Daniels I had not finished. She eyed it for a moment before setting that back in my hand. I was a little flabbergasted and hard pressed by the aggression, but before I could say anything she went back to the couch and grabbed all the bags in pro move since she must have had two dozen heavy bags with shoes. She flung one of the bigger ones at me that flew right to my feet. A men's coat fell out that I had not seen her buy and was upon inspection too small for either of her security. She may be a lying brat of a charge, but she had noticed I was cold and got me a fucking coat. I may be one of two assholes in this situation, but I was still an asshole.

"What the fuck just happened?" I asked Comrade. "I thought she didn't speak English." I said as I went to readjust my belt back on. She had handled it gently after taking it which was good since I'm sure the Zynothium would not handle being temper slammed on the counter well.

"She understands English better than she likes to let on." He said simply. He didn't come off overtly friendly likely since I had interrupted his neck massage from her. Though he was not as hostile as he could have been. "Though I would say she is still acting out a little more in your presence."

"Well fuck me then." I said and looked at the coat a little better. It was nicer quality and was light weight yet still insulating. It was something I would of chosen myself since it would not have restricted movement and still would help with the chill.

"I am not interested." He said and I realized that my words had been taken a little literally. I felt my face warm and as I went to justify what I said V-dude let out a booming chuckle. Great.

"That is not what I meant." I said trying to spare some of my dignity, before deciding to take another sip of my whisky.

"Good, I just wanted to be clear. Americans tend to enjoy bluntness. Though if you want to not fight with her I recommend not antagonizing. She may start some conflict herself, but it is best to not provoke her when she is stressed."

"Why is she so stressed?" I asked really just wanting something else to be discussed instead of my fuck up.

"She gets a little stressed when she is without her significant other." He said and finished off what he had left in the glass.

" Is that why she's clinging to you?" I asked and kind of regretted how it came out. That wasn't my business if he was screwing Bossman's Brother's lady.

"I am safe and she needs safety sometimes." He said and went to grab a towel that was on a little side table. A part of me wondered for a second if safety was another name for his dick. Then I saw it. He has been completely nude in the hot tub and without warning got out. I quickly turned around and started to pour myself another glass. I hadn't gotten a solid look, but what I did see put a wrench in my steroid theory. Well that was a needed shock of cod water. I had seen other dick in a variety of locker rooms, but yeah now it was just more awkward all around. I had no need to see it. I decided that after my refill that maybe I should just look at him in the eye from here on out. Though he came up right next to me in his towel and got himself a refill himself. "She has a big heart and it can come out in different ways. " He picked up my jacket for a second and placed it back down before exiting to the bedroom to hopefully put some actual clothes on. I decided that going on door duty might be the best thing to do at the moment so that is where I went. Unfortunately it wasn't long until Bossman strolled up to the door.


	7. Chapter 7

I was having a little more struggle with the mission than I had first anticipated. While Red-X himself was not an extreme pain in how he acted his presence in the hotel suite was a reminder of Robin. I was a little more emotionally raw than I expected with a reminder of one of Robin's obsession and mask fixation. Okay the mask fixation may be on my part, but it was definitely developed by Robin refusing to go without his. If Red-X was not in the picture I'd probably still be feeling the sadness about Robin, but it was just a blatant reminder of our separation. I hoped he was well. He was off in Gotham in my last conversation from Cyborg so I hoped he was more distracted than me. Though I doubted Batman was helpful at dealing with romantic struggles.

I knew that I was being unnecessary in my behavior towards Red-X, but he hadn't given me all that much reason to act any different. All throughout shopping he kept whispering snide comments in English about what would look good. I always found it fascinating what people will say when they believe no one can understand them. Red-X was no exception to this and his should have been subtle whispers hit my ears a little louder than he intended. Though after all my annoyance at him being him and being here in Russia of all places, when I witnessed him shivering I realized that he was suffering here as well. Robin had not made that suit particularly to endure subzero temperatures. It was mostly designed to have an offensive approach to our powers and teleport in tight situations. I was a little surprised that he had gone this long without picking up a coat for himself, but Red Star mentioned he could sense some true fatigue from him. While Red Star might not have Raven's ability to actually read people, he was observant and I trusted his opinion. If he had been exhausted and cold for the whole time he had been in this country it would make sense hygiene and shopping for necessities would fall behind.

Though it was time to get my game face on. I really needed to commend Victor once this mission was finished. The hologram was so adaptive and inclusive that it went all the way down to my feet and would adjust to any make up I applied to my actual face in near real time. If almost reminded me of Madame Rouge's abilities to shapeshift so believably. Though this would be used for a much greater outcome for the world. He was such an asset to have as a true friend. I would be happy to see him in 20 days. It could even be sooner if I got the confirmation on his actions and locations. Tonight would be a perfect lure to take Annika's advice and ply him with his favorite alcohol and the security of a hot tub. With his steal bones he was unable to swim, but a hot tub was the right depth and heat concentration that allowed him to relax. I had been told by the CIA he was also very thorough about evading wires and other recording devices which made the hot tub more appealing since any wires are revealed. While we would not have a recording of what he admitted there would be my testimony. The CIA had not intent of taking Peter to trial which was the main reason Robin didn't want me to take the offer. The CIA had not given me the direct order to kill him, but I had been instructed to act accordingly if threatened after sufficient information was extracted.

It would be my first kill since becoming a Titan. Tamaranians did not differentiate murder and mercy killing. Everyone's life came to an end and while premature killing of a fellow Tamaranian was often met with retribution from loved ones of the victim, it served a known hierarchy in culture. I had killed while in captivity by accident and on purpose to survive. I would kill again if it meant that I could save my brother. I may even kill to protect others forced into a life the Titan's had saved me from. While I had respect for the line Batman and by default Robin had drawn as the definition of hero some fires are better to be fully extinguished. I had my own opinions on the damage Batman dealt upon citizens of Gotham by keeping the Joker and other known high casualty threats alive. Though I followed their rules in the Titan role. Here I was under the umbrella of the US government which meant I had different orders and different rules. I was in this role temporarily, but did not know my reception back home if I did actually kill Peter or anyone. Though what mattered was doing the right thing and letting judgement come after. The fear of judgement stalls progress was one of the proverbs that my father held dear. I wondered if my brother was truly here would he look more like the little boy in my memory or would he look more like my father as he transitioned through these years. If he was not here… I had to believe he was here since the alternative of him being truly lost to me was a heavier burden to bare after receiving hope of his survival.

I was fortunate that the make up I was applying was waterproof or else my eyeliner would have vanished with the wetness filing my eye at these thoughts. This mission was personal, but I would let that enhance my efforts from here on out. I had used Annika's phone to text Peter that I wanted him to make up for last night with a drink. He had agreed only in my suite though instead of his club. He wanted the privacy. If what Annika hinted at during our discussions was true he did not want to have a tender connection to her known so it would not be used against him. I was scanning over her notes in my mind as I finished a fresh layer of lipstick. I had done my best to imitate her habits and mannerisms, but we were not identical people. Same shoe size luckily, but her actions often had coyness and spite. Today my spending on the card of Annika's fiancée was supposed to signal she was still upset with him for a fight that occurred in Japan. Annika had not provided true details to me, but it had been a severe enough fight for her to give up her previous life almost completely. I just hoped that Peter had not received a full report from his brother. I doubted it from my welcome, but he could be a good play actor as well.

I knew he was here when I heard the door open and heavy foot steps pad on the tile. I quickly put the cap back on my lipstick as I went to greet him. He greeted me with a peck on the lips which was more culturally understood to me. He had a few interesting languages that were a mix of other alien languages, but nothing complete. That definitely gave some validity to his direct involvement in extra-terrestrial smuggling.

"How is my Dove?" he asked in Russian and I immediately went to start fixing him a drink after he seated himself on the very nice couch. With his size it would likely take quite a few beverages to get him to the truth serum phase of drunkenness I wanted.

"Tired from shopping, yet so pleased to see you." I responded back since he would appreciate the mention of happiness in him being here and see me as diminutive for participating in such a feminine task. He did not enter with a body guard which was a good side. I suspected he was not without one, but they were forced outside to join Red-X in staring at a boring hallway.

"If shopping wears you out, how much time will I truly get with you?" he said in a tone that I knew was teasing, but had a shiver run up my back. I returned to sit next to him handing him a very full glass of what the real Annika had informed me was his favorite liquor. I had a glass of similar fullness for myself. Alcohol did not have the same effect on my biology. Tamaranians drank Ammonia and other extreme alkaline substances if they wished to experience the euphoria of drunkenness. Ethanol did provide a minor yet pleasant release of energy, but it took much volume for that reaction to be noticeable. I knew that he would out drink whatever I consumed.

"Plenty you just get time with me in prettier dresses." I had put on a very classy polka pot wrap dress with one of the swimsuits I had purchased underneath. It would have a nice transition once I got to that portion of the evening. "Cheers" I said in English as I touched my glass of the clear Vodka to his.

"You have been working on your English?" he said after he took a healthy sip and the satisfying "Aw" sound escaped his lips. Red Star and Vaskevitch had made themselves scarce which was likely the right call. I had faith in Red Star, but with his protectiveness over me watching this may compromise his control. We had already done some preplanning with the hot tub and meditative music earlier in the day.

" I am making progress slowly. Your man is helpful to an extent, but his Russian is worse than my English." I said and offered him the remote to allow some program to be background noise. Annika had mentioned he liked that technique so that if any wires in rooms were missed they would mostly get the programing instead of his words. He seemed pleased that I had so immediately tended to his preferences. I had not noticed it in my first encounter with him, but he had white strong teeth when he smiled. He definitely was a predator on the food chain. He put on some soccer which made sense since the cheering would cover conversation and it would occupy any lulls in our conversation.

"He is American, though his suit is quite unique. Has he presented any issues? I only assigned him since he was a reliable way of providing escape if another attempt was made." He asked and I decided to not throw him under the bus in case punishment would be doled out.

"No issues, though I still prefer when I can see you and not a proxy." I said and went to grab the room service menu. He took up the phone and ordered himself the steak and me the salad. I was a little bummed that he was familiar with Annika's standard order since a salad was likely going to be a disappointment. Yes food was not the main issue but I would still have to eat it and act grateful. Though he sent me a wink as he ordered a tray of chocolate covered strawberries. I knew from Annika's story she had included in her preface about Peter was he loved strawberries and in his rise to crime that was often one of the first things he splurged in.

He asked me little questions about my travels and I gave into the small talk before starting to ask questions about him. I kept my drinking constant and the steady flow of refills ready whenever a top off was appropriate. He was starting to feel it as his laughs got heartier and he slowly wrapped himself around me. It was a little disarming to have a human who was so much larger than me practically cuddling. Robin was shorter and lean compared to myself. He was strong and manly and our size difference never made me feel any less confident in his abilities, but this felt much more suffocating with overt Alpha energy and physical shows of dominance. Annika was really tall so that must have been a consideration for her. I personally did not enjoy his posturing, but I kept my body loose and fluid to whatever position he settled us into. I let myself giggle a little higher to insinuate I was always experiencing a buzz.

"I do not believe that I have seen you drinking this heavily since your engagement party, dove." He said as he started to play with my hair. He had used the remote to dim the lights and we had been exchanging conversation long enough for the game to end on TV. I had gotten some details in other dealings and promises to be taken to his big project. There was no concrete mentioning of trafficking of non-Terrans, but he was not quite at the point of bragging drunk yet.

"I have not had such nice alcohol since then. Saki is not exactly my taste." I said trying to remember the Japan narrative. I had been fortunate to actually of visited Japan so I had some memories of the culture and sights. It made lying a little easier when I had some experiences and truth to branch out off of.

"Are you sure there is not any other reason for this?" He asked and started to play with the edge of my skirt.

"No, Peter." I said trying to keep my tone light and found this to be a better opportunity to get him into the hot tub. I climbed out of his embrace and took the bottle and walked on over to the open spa. I added a stumble in for the illusion I was inebriated. He watched me with those bright blue eyes as I set the bottle down in the cup holder on the corner of the Hot Tub. I grabbed the tie of my wrap dress and turned away so he faced my back. Annika was not sexually aggressive, but in my supposed drunk state she may be a little extra flirty. I let the tie go and let the dress fall to reveal the very strappy bathing suit I had purchased today. I climbed up the steps and delicately touched my toe to the water in a move that I had seen in movies more than life, but it was quite appropriate with her temperament to check the water before diving in. I let myself fully enter the hot tub before turning my attention back to him.

"Are you trying to drown Dove?" He asked and he started to unbutton his shirt.

"You'll just have to save me. Though this does feel divine." I responded and averted my eye as he started to strip. I focused on finding the perfect jet setting. He did not go fully bare, a fact I did appreciate. I did not enjoy the thought of going full femme fatale and sleeping with a target I might have to kill. I was not his fiancée, I was his brother's so that would not be appropriate anyways. If it escalated to a point that would happen I would apply acupressure to a point that would put him to sleep. He would blame the alcohol at this point anyway.

"You are not wrong." He said as he joined me in a very unstable fashion. He was affected by the drinking which boded well for my continued dig into details. I shifted to a corner of the hot tub that had fewer jets to allow him the prime seat. I giggled at him as he got settled into the chair in an exaggerated fashion. I was slightly taken aback by the scars that marked his chest. While his bones were steel and he had some super human abilities he scarred and marked. One that really caught my interest was a burn like handprint right over his heart. I was not discrete enough in my staring since he sighed.

"Yes, I have a few more than the last time. The newest venture has some more aggressive components. " He said with a shrug. He had been attacked by a view species of alien by the shape of the scratches and claw marks. The hand print could be Tamaranian in origin since while Wildfire was not able to produce Starbolts and beams like me and Blackfire, he would be able to raise his skin temperature high enough to leave a burn on most surfaces.

"Does it hurt?" I asked in a small voice and I shifted closer so my hand was hovering over the burn. It took much to scar a Tamaranian so they were always a point of interest for me. Humans gained a history and story upon their skin and this in front of me could be a huge clue.

"No, but it was quite shocking when it happened. Every day that one shows more surprises." He said in an obvious brag and he pulled my hand to line up to the hand print. It was a left hand which gave me more hope for the possibility of being Wildfire. He was left handed though the bad part was that Peter was staring at my ring in a weird trance like way. I slid it down into the water and laid my head on his chest instead. If he noticed the ring being off that would be a bad thing for my cover. When he started to stroke my hair as I listened to his heart beat I knew he was not tipped off.

"I am glad you are okay. Many would not do be as strong as you." I said since he likely would not be alive if he was a normal human.

"Certainly not my brother." He muttered and his hand went to my chin so I would be looking at him. I don't know exactly what he had done since X'hal must of heard my prayer since Red-X opened the door carrying in the room service. Peter shoved me away from him that had some panic along with force. Since I had not braced I hit the other edge of the hot tub with a thunk. I did not cry out though I assumed the real Annika likely would have. Red-X had nothing beyond his posture for me to read. He was uncomfortable with what he saw. Peter motioned for him to bring the food to us.

"Dessert first?" he asked me in English and deciding that it was good to just say yes. He asked for the strawberries and had him put the other food on the counter. Though the picture of eating chocolate covered strawberries was a quite romantic one, he stared a little longer at my face. I don't know what he saw, but it made him pause as he left.


	8. Chapter 8

I had seen way too many unpleasant things for the day. First more of Comrade than what I ever wanted and now I get to watch Bossman throw Ice Queen (was able to come up with a nickname hour 3 of staring at that wall) across a hot tub to play whatever off the moves he was making on her. I mean I didn't personally have siblings, but that seemed to be a little incestuous and wrong. Though what is truly considered wrong to a mob boss whose job is to do wrong things and make bad decisions. She did not look super pleased to be in that hot tub when I came in. Though this time it did not appear I was the source of her irritation. Maybe she hated all men besides Comrade. I did what Bossman asked, but I lingered for a second to just make sure Annika was okay. Seeing all the scars on Bossman made me really aware of the fact he had been in some tough fights and played as rough as all of the rumors referenced. None of the stories referred to him being directly abusive to women, but I knew that he did not interact with women often in the first place. Annika was supposed to be some mythic bitch that Bossman saw as his angel. Though his brother was the one to have the balls to ask her father for her and make that move. His brother had a more legitimate legacy which is why he went without such abilities. At least that is what the stories passed between English speaking compatriots told me.

I did leave when I felt like Bossman would get annoyed if I stayed longer though I knew from how messy his English was he was drunk. I hadn't seen him truly altered consciousness drunk, but I didn't care to stay much longer than needed to reach fury drunk. My buddy who was working as a fellow door man did not speak English which left me mostly trapped in a conversation with my head. I had already repondered my sexuality, still comfortably straight a bummer to men everywhere. I had come up with a nickname for Annika, not my best though I was sticking to it. It was accurate since she had been icy towards me and everyone treated her like a fucking queen. I felt a little conflicted on her reasoning for actually purchasing me a coat. I wish I had asked her why? Though ever since I delivered the room service, unfortunately the most exciting part of this kind of guarding, I wondered if she was going to rat me out to Bossman. I hadn't been that rude or cruel to her, but my face well mask just seemed to twist her up. This building was really tall and I didn't want to get thrown out a window. My belt would save me if needed, but there was so many ways he could kill me without it. Well that was a way to occupy my thoughts for the rest of my shift. Thank you anxiety, you always give me something to stay awake about. I had sobered up from my earlier drink so it wasn't really taking the edge off.

After 90 minutes of dread a blonde head poked out of the door. Her hair was dry and she was redressed in a robe. She looked at the other guard before saying something in Russian and he took down the hallway towards the elevator.

"Red-X." she said and I was happy that she was communicating in English. She also did not have a lot of spite in her tone. "I will require your assistance." Well that was quite concerning to be asked for help when the other bodyguard was banished. I didn't think I would be much use in hiding a body with Bossman's size. I nodded and followed her into the room. I was quite happy to see Bossman was alive in addition to mostly clothed. Though he was close to the drunkest I'd ever seen anyone. He was singing likely an old Russian folk song poorly and he was on the couch swaying. When Annika stepped in distance he locked onto to her arm and drug her to sit in his lap. She squirmed as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight. He likely was hurting her, but she looked at me.

"I need you to teleport him to the car. The less people who see him like this the better." She said and then very gracefully pushed his arms off her like a mom tired of playing. He did not seem happy about her leaving so he locked around her waist and used her as support to stand. "Can you do this?" Her last work came out a little higher since he must of squeezed all the air out of her in that moment. He looked like a tree about to tip over and bring them both to the ground. I would yell timber when the time came.

"Am I teleporting both of you?" I asked since I had not attempted two people at a time and that seemed even more risky when likely both were inebriated. Teleportation was limited to what I was touching in the suit. It did not transport stationary objects that were fixed. I had not designed he suit, but I had used it the most so I knew what it did more than the technology. Though Ice Queen was acting strangely sober from the fact she had liquid dinner and nothing else from the uneaten salad. She was staying steady as he almost fell back a few times just the sheer act of standing being difficult.

"No, just him." She said to me before she shifted him back down to the couch and sat beside him. He had a firm grip on her hair and was trying to twist it up. It looked like he was trying to make a nest on top of her hair.

"Where am I headed? It's important I can see where I am going or have been there before." From what I could tell from the suit is that a teleportation point had to be a spot already visited or looked at so the suit could make a lock. Longer distances and items took up more juice. Bossman starting saying something very loudly and she continued to treat him like a child by catching his hand messing with her hair in her own. She gave him a smile and he just stared at her for a moment.

"Take him to point right outside the door to the lobby. His car will be waiting." She said and I saw a glint in her eye that spoke gratefulness if I would do this for her.

"You're English is much better" Bossman said likely meaning to be whispered into her ear, but ended up shouting it. I cringed hard at that.

"On it." I said having care to not say her new nickname and let my suit catch up to the visualization of where I wanted to go. It always happened under the mask in accordance to my thoughts which was really cool tech since it was nonverbal.

She helped get Bossman to his feet and kinda pushed him into me. He was damn heavy so I quickly teleported us to the desired spot. It was not snowing, but a deep chill had settled in and it was shocking. Annika had escaped, but I was lucky I was near a light pose to support us both. He was hammered and teleporting had given him a spell of the spins. He chose to sit after a second with his head in his hands and not lean heavily on me which was a solid plan in my opinion. He hurt everything he grabbed. I would definitely have bruises from just catching him.

The car did not take long and Bossman climbed right into it as it opened the door. I went to close it for him and he gave me a hard hug. I felt quite trapped for a moment than he spoke really close to my ear. "If you touch her I will kill you." He let me go and I closed the door quickly. Well that was an escalation.

I debated walking back up to the room to conserve Zynothium, but it was cold and the people in the lobby may resist me walking in without a clear resident. I had two vials left which helped that choice.

I was right back in the main room of Annika's apartment in that next moment and back into the warmth. I almost wanted to cry out in joy, but I was far from alone with everyone now present. I guess instead of perving on Ice Queen and Bossman they let them have the room. Annika looked tired and annoyed, but she did look at me when I reappeared.

"Thank You." She said and there was almost no accent in her voice when she said it. " The tv has English subtitles and a few channels if you wish, but feel free to rest."

"Smoke break?" V dude asked her and she gave a heavy nod before taking off her robe to reveal a t shirt style she must of thrown on in this process. She started walking for the door. I was surprised she went outside since many did not.

"You'll freeze." I said trying to convey that it was dangerously cold out there for her knees and below to be showing.

"I thank you for your concern." She said and put on her coat from the hook next to wear I had hung mine. She didn't look happy about it. Red Star went to follow her up.

I did call out to him before he left. Just because I needed him not to get killed by Bossman since he genuinely seemed like a good dude.

"He threatened to kill me if I touched her. I assume the same goes for you?" I said kinda trying to make a very real threat said by a very drunk man less scary. He let out a very deep real laugh and shook his head.

"I'm tougher than I appear, friend. I assume the same for you. His threats are empty until they are not. I would be much more afraid of incurring her wrath so I will not keep her waiting." He said and went up without a coat. He may be tougher, but going out without a coat was a stupid move.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

I had chosen to go to bed instead of watching any English television. I still had some sleep deprivation in my bones and eyelids. I had waited to hear that door open again, but was out asleep before it did. I woke up after a few hours and heard voices in the living room. It was a mix of languages, but one sounded even more guttural than Russian. I almost got up to investigate, but I fell back asleep. I had more on my mind when I woke up the second time. I did not want to step on anyone's toes now that it seemed like Annika wasn't going to destroy my set up here. Bossman might of threatened me away from her, but he could of easily had me killed just for my little mask game earlier. Though it was weird seeing her flip from totally affectionate to just fed up with him once he wasted. Though he was pretty annoying from what I saw.

I decided to get up and use the shower since I had thirty minutes of sleep left in my allotted time off. I needed to shave and take a moment to myself. I was not sure how long this living situation would last and it was worthy getting as much sleep and showers as I could with 3 people on human possible shifts. It wasn't work til you drop and get kicked awake to work again. Though having hot water was truly something I missed. There was a wrapped razor I found in a drawer so I took time making myself look more like myself. I mean the fact I had facial hair during my game would be misleading in the future if she ever wanted to track my identity. I doubted that she would, but that was always a fear when you had done a lot of bad things under the mask. I hadn't done anything like murder, but when burglarly stacked up I was jlikely getting the rest of my life if I got my identity linked up. I had things I wanted to do with my life before getting bars in the way.

When I redressed and left the bathroom every one else was already up. Annika was looking strangely happy sitting on the counter sipping a cup of coffee. There was two boxes of Keurig cups next to should have had a killer headache at the very least, but she looked chipper.

"Are you immune to hangovers?" I said out loud since I can be a dumbass.

"Da." She said and I realized she could switch back to only speaking in Russian to me. Fuck.

"Your English is quite good for it not being your first language." I said which as soon as I said it I know it was a terrible move. Though her mood seemed to be in brighter spirits today and she just let my what could be considered backhanded compliment bounce off her.

"Thank you, It is the language I have received the most critique for." She said and raised a freshly brewed mug at me. "Peace offering?" she said and I went for it.

"Thank you, I apologize for yesterday." I said since it was easier to have a lot under the apology umbrella.

"Yesterday was yesterday. Today we start fresh." She said and Comrade sent me a wink which meant he had talked to here for my behalf. We clinked glasses and settled in for a day of sitting on the couch watching a sport called curling in English. Rocks and brooms on ice, but Comrade was really passionate about Ukraine winning. Annika was nice and asked me questions about my time here and my suit. It was strangely relaxing to spend a day hanging out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello wonderful readers thank you for coming back to another installment. I wish all of you health and happiness while this Pandemic continues. Thank YOU for reading. Please review they make me write quicker and the next chapter has some important Red X character building.**

Potentially the most nerve-wracking part of living under the holoring was the fact I was impersonating a real person. When Cyborg had infiltrated the H.I.V.E. he had a blank space to work with that could rely on a fair bit of improv skills. Annika was a real person and quite a popular one if her phone was anything to go off of. I had been instructed to ignore as many calls as possible except from the mark. His brother my supposed fiancé had not called or checked in at all which made me curious. What kind of fight had gone down before I had been contacted?

Another person that was calling ad texting a lot was a girl named Naomi who wrote in combinations of English and Russian. It was clear that Russian was not her first language, but most of her messages were from the time I was given Annika's phone and had an urgent need to make sure she was okay. Annika had deleted all of her previous messages from this person, so I only had her current messages to go off whether or not she was linked to this situation. She said finally that she was going to call the police if I did not respond that made me take action. I had consulted Vaskevitch before contact, but it had been approved to meet since it was a new person of interest and someone inner circle that Annika had left out of her initial accounts. My ability to text like an earthling was a struggle since it was a majority of slang and hieroglyphic emojis. I did not go wild in giving her information besides. "I am ok" which sent her into a blizzard of questions from what happened and where was I. She called when I did not initially text her back which was quite concerning. I didn't pick up and shot Vaskevitch a panicked look. It stopped ringing after five more and when I unlocked my phone she had left a voicemail. She sounded sincerely worried and insisted I met her for dinner tonight at our place or she'd go to the police for what happened in Japan. I didn't know where that was and when I communicated with Vaskevitch he suggested I give an alternate location. I sent her the name of the restaurant in the hotel I was currently in. I told her I wanted to stay close to my things. Which what I had guessed from Annika's shopping habit that likely would be true in her behavior. It appeased her since she said meet at 8.

I was not going out to do more progress on the mission since Peter had expressed he would show me his big project next Saturday when it was ready. He had been clear that he was very busy this week and would make time for me when he did have time. I had to wait until he called me which was frustrating since the only evidence I had to suggest my brother was here was a left-handed burn mark on Peter's flesh. I needed more to be certain of his health and existence even, but it was a start. Initially the plan was to not do anything suspicious and lay low until Peter called, but this had an urgent edge so plans were changing. I wish I had more time with Annika to get more personal details and mannerism out of her, but I would likely just have to be at the mercy of Naomi and have an escape route planned. Vaskevitch and Red Star had been through a couple of escape excuses in case I fudged anything with Peter so a few codewords could save me if this went bad. I hoped just seeing Annika unharmed was enough for her since I did not have any of the answers she was seeking. Though it was curious how she was linked to this whole mess since Annika had not mentioned her name in any interview, but she was obviously very involved. She also held a piece of the puzzle towards what triggered Annika to come to the CIA in the first place. I was not convinced that was directly linked to my brother since there was other evidence she presented, but that was the rolling case she confirmed. She hadn't directly seen it but had overheard it one day and that was just the lucky piece of the puzzle that they contacted me about. There were other operations revolving around this information she provided, but the trafficking presented a bigger urgency. Without a great understanding of alien species many terrans had greater anxiety with any unknowns being on earth.

The Terran card system required you to disclose and document any extraordinary abilities and what was expected out of your species. I was an exception for standard Tamaranian due to some nonrequested experimentation, so I had to fill out more forms and more forms to apply for hero status. I was a political refugee which was technically enough, but most requests to enter atmosphere were denied even in cases if life or death. Having a large pocket of unknown and undocumented aliens under a known criminal syndicate made this more pressing in case they were weaponized. With both I and Superman likely to survive a nuke and absolutely more dangerous than one, I could understand the fear. Our genetics surpassed their developed weapons, but our actions spoke to the commitment to protect against such threats. While Wildfire lacked some of my abilities through experiments he had a different one that I knew would be a great concern if it was truly him. It was definitely an ability that I would not want in Peter's hand. I had two hours to prepare for dinner and review the notes to gleam any clues to what this meeting would be about.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I had decided to only take Red Star and Vaskevitch to dinner since Red X was still not aware of the plan or my true identity. I had grown more accepting of his presence since it was enduring through my stay, but I needed people I actually trusted in this scenario. He seemed happy to get the apartment to himself. I had hidden all my valuables and files under the mattress since it was too heavy for him to life by himself and I was confident that he would snoop. I locked my door purposely as we left even though I knew his teleportation made that moot. I felt better having my assigned team by my side we had been prepped for situations such as this.. The way they knew to get me out was two fake sneezes in a row. A threat would be perceived, and I would be forcibly dragged to safety. I doubted that I would be in true danger, but caution was wise.

A big risk factor entering this was the unknown technology used to subdue the aliens in their "care". If they did have my brother they would likely have some interplanetary slaving cuffs on hand which was not something I would ever allow myself to be placed in again. My eye beams had allowed me that option since they developed in my maturity. Though he did not possess such talents.

I had eaten at the restaurant in question the first night I was here to have witnesses that I was truly in Moscow. The food was pleasing but I never knew what it was perceived like to humans. Everyone had different tastes, but it should be adequate. Red Star certainly enjoyed it with how much he ate. My addition search for any mention of Naomi came up with nothing she had completely omitted her name from any testimonies and her texts were erased off the phone before she turned it in. I also could not find her off her Instagram account by name alone.

"Nervous?" Red Star asked as the lobby floor neared in our descent. He was a little curious about this whole situation, though I think he was also a bit happy to eat from the restaurant again. He claimed room service was not as good. I just gave him a nod since I didn't want to speak my own experience and lose my Annika impression. Tamarians had good vocal mimicry since our three sets of vocal cords allowed us to produce a larger range of vocal sounds and specific cadences. Though if this person knew Annika as much as I suspected I needed to be on point. He put a hand on my shoulder as an encouragement and retracted it before the doors opened.

I had a suspicion on what Naomi looked like since she did have a profile picture, but a hat obscured most of her face. Though as I went to the restaurant it became obvious my reservation I phoned in early was taken as a full restaurant reservation since no one was there except for one red curtained booth that the hostess lead us to.

Naomi was not what I expected though I doubt pastel pink hair short hair and a sleeve of tattoos on her arm was something I would have immediately guessed. She was very obviously not Russian, and her English accent gave that away very fast.

"Annie?" she asked, and I nodded before turning back to signal my security should sit behind me.

I very delicately slid into the booth since the dress I selected was a high low fit that gave me a bit of a train. She immediately slammed the curtains closed and let loose a series of questions I did not have answers to.

"Where have you been? Why didn't you call me when you flew back? What happened after that night? I have been so worried." She reached her arm out to grab my hand during her last statement and held it.

"I am sorry." I said simply since it was the answer I could give. I was sorry for her that Annika had left her unaware of her departure, but it was necessary to provide protection for her.

"Love, I know, but what happened between you and him? Is the engagement…?" Her question ended when she noticed the ring on my finger of the hand she had not started stroking. She obviously was upset that it was there.

"For the moment nothing has changed to my knowledge, though I get a few weeks without him." I was curious if I needed to throw some more Russian phrases in, but due to her speed of talking she obviously expected me to understand her.

"Good I hope he chokes on a tempura roll." She said and then went back to taking my right hand. "I missed you Annie."

I was starting to get an impression that Naomi was not involved in the whole crime ring, she was involved with Annika. The long looks the prolonged focus on my face and the smidge of cleavage this dress provided. The way she was stroking my hand was also a sign along with the frustration at the ring. I did not have much experience with same sex partnerships on earth, but it was very common on Tamaran. It answered so many questions if this theory was correct adding context into why she left. My reply took a bit of a bit since my mind was thinking on this new theory, but I answered back in Russian. She seemed to understand that and started to massage kinks out of my hand. I was a little embarrassed by the loud pop that erupted form my knuckles. She laughed sincerely and it was obvious that there was some deep affection for Annika.

"Is this where you are staying, Doll?" she asked and our food appeared through the curtain she had gotten me a salmon dish with rosemary and lemon that I had not expected, but knew it was a meal Annika actually ordered and enjoyed more than salad. She knew her person better than Peter.

"Yes, I have a nice room." I said and went to add a smidge of pepper upon my fish.

"I thought you hated pepper?" she asked at my motion.

"Japan expanded my fish flavoring tastes." I said in a strained sentence. It was important to not keep my English flawless since Annika obviously was known for not having the fluency mastered.

"Huh, did you bring me back anything?" she asked and then I felt sad for her again.

"I did not accomplish my normal shopping goals." I said hoping she would not press more. She stole a bite of salmon off my plate before responding. That was a very clear sign that she was very comfortable with me. She deposited some pesto pasta upon my plate as payment.

"Well I might have to keep my gift I got you then." She said and I knew Annika would have lit up as a result. My impression was based off when I had seen her handed back her phone for a moment so I could learn her passcode and what apps she used to communicate.

"Gift?" I asked and she laughed at me once again.

"Your favorite word, I know. It's simple, but I thought of you when I saw it." She pulled a little bottle of green nail polish out of her bag. "I know you mentioned that you love green nail polish, but it was hard to find the right shade that didn't clash with red. Which most of your shoes are."

"Thank you. It is lovely." I said placing the bottle next to my nails. Annika's nails were not painted nor long, so my hologram reflected that. It was a shade that I had not seen in many nail polishes. Often they were too dark, bright, or cartoon like. This was a thoughtful find.

"I still haven't found a shade that matches your eyes, but that might be a challenge to find perfection."

I laughed and continued on little light talk to the best of my ability until dessert came and it was crème brulee. It was very rich which made me take it very slow.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "I've never seen you take this long to eat Crème brulee. It's your ultimate cheat food."

"I just wanted to enjoy it longer." I said and in a very playful moment she stole a bite out of my dish. I pouted knowing that was her reaction. Though she took that as a sign to kiss me. She moved across the table faster than I anticipated. That startled me but she tasted like custard and burnt sugar and love was laced in it. I didn't end it since I wasn't sure if I should or if she would assume something was wrong. Though she broke apart very quickly with an alarming statement.

"You're not Annie." She said point blank. There was not an easy way out of this. I considered sneezing twice, but she was onto us which presented a larger issue. She was connected through Annika, but I didn't know what other connections she had.

"What?" I asked hoping that she hadn't meant what I had heard.

"Annika has a scar on her right wrist. She covers it in makeup, but I can feel it. She also hates pepper more than things. And she would never let me get away with in public." I did not have explanations to defend myself since no scar tissue was on my wrist. I simply closed the curtains tighter and decided that if she knew than it would be best if I got information out of her.

"Naomi do you love me?" I asked hoping that might be able to get her emotional. I wanted to see if I could trust her.

"I love her, yes." Okay she was sure I wasn't Annika. There were angry tears forming in her eyes.

"Well then you should be happy to know she is safe, but in that safety she could not tell you." I said dropping her voice and accent.

"Where is she?" she asked tears definitely coming out of her restraint.

"I do not have that information, but I could not tell you to keep her safe. I am here since she left no record of you for the investigation." I said and suddenly her face changed.

"You're here to investigate Peter?" I nodded. "Good she was so scared of him. Is there any way I can contact her." I shook my head no and tears kept coming. I decided that I needed to comfort her.

"She is safe and wanted you safe as well if she did not give us any information about you. People often end up hurting people they love when they try to protect them." I said and held her hand for a moment before letting it go.

"Did she love you enough to memorize your phone number?" I asked and she started to pull herself together. She nodded. I switched my voice back to Annika's. "Then wait for her call, I need her identity for three weeks and then she can make a phone call. It is for her safety, and yours."

"Why did she do this?" she asked.

"I do not know, but I think that she felt like she needed protection from her fiancé."

"She did, but I think something else happened to make her go this far."

"She wasn't injured. I can tell you that."

"She is good at not showing that side of her."

I handed back the nail polish to her. "You should get out of Moscow. Go home wherever that is since I doubt it is here. Wait for her call it is likely you will be who receives it." I said and left the booth through the curtains. I hoped I had provided her some comfort. It was hard seeing her sadness and heartbreak since it reminded me of my own. The CIA would be taking her home as soon as she stepped outside I was sure, but I wanted to just get outside and scream in empathy with her pain.


	10. Chapter 10

I lasted about 9 minutes until I teleported in Annika's room. I needed enough time to pass that I was confident she would not be turning back around. I had yet to be left completely alone in the penthouse, and my shift implied I should be with her, but I had been not given the task. Comrade explained she felt more comfortable meeting an old friend without a masked scaring them. I suspected we weren't on as cool terms as yesterday had led me to believe, but she really didn't give me a rude excuse only a pointed look when she locked her door. In reality that look challenged me more than anything. I had seen a bit of her room as she had exited so I had a faint idea of where I was going. I chose the floor exactly a foot away from the door since traditionally that has to be clear to use the door and past a normal censor point. A lesson I had learned from going a little to far and hitting a corner or desk in other break-ins. Bruised shins hurt like a bitch.

Though her room was way bigger than I assumed. It was the size of the living room with it's own couch and spa style bath tub not concealed. The bed had to be a Cal King or they just shoved two queen beds together and called it a day. There was another small sink and bathroom styled room and a bigger walk in closet. It had some dresses hung up, but most of her stuff was still in suitcases and bags. She had not unpacked. Her suitcases were upright and zipped which made me hesitate in opening it. While I doubted Ice Queen meticulously folded all of her clothes, it would be a dead give away if I opened it and it wouldn't close properly. I wouldn't be rooting around through that anytime soon. Though I did notice her main bag had been left behind. She had this one while we were out shopping, but often she had her phone in her hand and a card attached within a secret compartment of the case. I had seen her fidgeting with it while we had been watching T.V. She had been getting a fair amount of texts today by the stream of little bloops erupting out of her palm. This apartment had thin walls which was a bit of a pain, but it did let me know certain things.

Her purse was something that was more accessible to rifle through since contents were always shifting within a bag. Women's bags were not something I stole ever, but I had been in enough clubs where I had witnessed many a drunk girl pour the contents of her bag out on the floor to find their phone which in the end had been tucked into her bra. It was a sad sight of desperation every time, but the weirdest shit came out from way too many condoms to odd snacks, and flip flops. Sometimes it was mostly trash that did not make back to the bag or lipsticks that rolled away and became a true tripping hazard. That was almost tragic to watch since it had a domino effect that required us to step in and get a bunch of drunk young people vertical.

Annika's purse was a gray-silver color with matte metal accents. It had an industrial vibe to it, but I knew from the texture of the leather it was expensive. It was thick yet soft, but did not appear to be well worn. I doubted any of her stuff was well worn with how much she shopped. It didn't have much of a personality beyond it appeared to do the job of showing off that it was expensive and neutral. No sign of life within, just a basic shell to make it easier to carry things. Inside was not much more entertaining, It was a very neat arrangement of what I'd carry if I was going out. Wallet that matched the bag, It just had a bunch of bills organized from lowest to highest, it did have a few ID's in the slots with various names and nationalities, but the same scowl. No gift cards or photos of this fiancée everyone seemed to forget about. I doubted that most mob wives could truly get sentimental to anything, but photos or a little key chain seemed a normal little trinket. Her passport was also in her bag which appeared to be her real one since it had quite a few stamps. Japan being her most recent from the date and a different slightly better photo inside. There was no souvenirs or any extra bills from that trip which was quite near to when I first met her. There was a small bottle of purrell which could signal she was a bit of a neat freak. Probably a good plan to skip the suitcase then. It was within a plastic bag with a small bottle of perfume joining it, which demonstrated extra caution for the bag, but that was likely a learned habit from a past spill. She did have a tube of Tom Ford lipstick in that scarlet shade I had seen on her in the moments she had worn make up. She wore it when going out or entertaining guests, but it was not a standard mask she put on everyday. She was surprisingly quick when it came to getting ready as well which stunned me since I almost took more when I left the house minus the mask. The big ticket item I had expected to find was a pack of cigarettes, there was one within clear plastic that had not been open. She must have been bumming off of comrade for their smoke break. Though none of her stuff smelt like cigarettes. Comrade didn't smell like it either. The mask did limit my sense of smell to certain things, but garlic bread, Cinnabon and cigarettes were two things that always broke through. Being on the roof must blow away any trace, likely a bad habit she didn't like following her. The two tins of strawberry flavored mints also pointed towards to that assumption. I did steal one from the open tin, just because there was a sick part of me that wondered what she tasted like. It seemed like everyone knew, but myself. They were real sweet almost dipping into the realm of candy.

This seemed like a good line to stop at before I took anything that would be missed. I had Sherlocked enough for the night and just came back with. I started putting everything back, but noticed a shiny little thing in the mint tin. It was slightly coated in white dust. I was fucking lucky these weren't drugs. I had not thought that to be an option, but I sure as hell should have with a future mob wife. I had seen Pulp Fiction. In the mint tin was an engagement ring that had the same obnoxiously square rock that was on Ice Queen's ring finger. Huh she must of lost her own and got a spare before she found it. I finished up putting everything back how I found it and teleported to the spare bedroom. No need to get caught by lingering. The slow rat gets caught by the cat. I decided to make use of the hot tub while I could with my night. I had a pair of civilian basketball shorts since I was not feeling right about accidentally flashing any coworkers. I would keep the mask close, but I wanted to give my face a break. The mask felt like a second skin that I had to shed some days.

Annika and Comrade had not came back by the time I was pruned, dried, and masked watching the English movie channel on TV. It was Titanic, which I would not claim in my top 100 movie picks. I just wanted to hear some English for a few hours. V-dude had come in, looked at me, said "smoke break" and continued to the spare bedroom. He looked busy so I did not try to interact with him. I was content to listen to cheesy lines and wonder how much of the movie's budget they dedicated to Leo's hairdresser. What else was I going to do with myself. I was headed off to sleep on the couch before either made it back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The couch was actually decently comfortable though not quite a replacement for a mattress. I had gotten spoiled by basic comforts again. It was morning, which meant I had gotten a quite a few hours of sleep. The TV had not been turned off and now it was part way through Forest Gump. V-dude was in the kitchen area chipping away at the coffee reserves. He seemed to not want to be bothered once again so I let him be. I just let my spine crack it's morning song and appreciated Tom Hanks inner monologue.

Annika's bedroom door opened up and she was in the bikini I had seen her previously in with Bossman. She seemed sort of dazed as she walked straight into the hot tub legs long enough she didn't need the stool. She dunked her head under and did not let it rise for a long while. I was curious about how long an average human could hold their breath since she had to be trying to break the record. Eventually after a decent pause she rose to take a breathe, she looked like a budget mermaid with her blonde hair pasted to her head by the water. Though there was some more awareness in her eyes as she focused on me. She dunked her head again quickly as if to confirm she was awake.

"I want to see what you can do in the suit." She said looking directly at me which felt like a rude way to say good morning.

While there was a retort on the tip of my tongue about how I rather show her what I could do without it. Comrade came out of the spare bedroom looking very tired and I respected the courtesy to not start a fight before he had coffee. Though I didn't feel like wasting my juice on a display instead of work. Snooping through her purse falls under work, absolutely.

"I would rather reserve my Zynothium, if I have a say in the matter?" I said trying to not be aggressive, but not wanting to be a Disney fireworks display.

"I can reimburse. I have someone that might want to hire your abilities." She looked over at Comrade and he gave her a short nod before reaching for the coffee he just brewed. I didn't know if that meant he was the hire, but I was accepting of work for the right price. The reimbursement was appealing if she could back it up. Though I had to lay down some ground rules.

"I'm a thief not an assassin." I said even though I had a feeling this request wasn't truly an option if she really wanted it.

" It is neither of those." She said and started to climb out of the spa. I expected her to get a towel to dry herself off, but it appeared that most of the water steamed off her to a point she didn't drip. Not that I gave that my full attention, I was focused on other things.. "25 minutes, I know a place." She said and then she was back in the room. I looked over at Comrade and V-dude who were having some sort of conversation without words behind their mugs.

"Any idea what she's talking about?" I asked Comrade. He gave me a long yawn for an answer and tight-lipped shake of his head. He looked really tired and I decided not to push. I had about half a tank in my current tube which should be enough for whatever display she wanted. V-dude said something I understood none of to Comrade and he nodded at him. He then looked back at me.

"She is feeling paranoid since her friend had an accident. They were taken to a hospital last night." He said and I was surprised by an extra strain in his voice. It was suspicious, but everything was here.

"Ah okay." I said since I didn't really want more details if it was true. Not my business. Though it would give some insight to her weird behavior. If it was the friend she met last night had an accident that would explain their late arrival back home. Comrade had been mostly awake for most of the night. I decided to put a spare tube in my coat and loaded back up my weapon packs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a little scary to be in a car when the streets were coated in this much snow, but I had to give it to V-dude every time we almost slipped. Comrade was staying home since Ice Queen looked at him and pointed back to the spare bedroom. She saw he was drained and technically since all the shifts were fucked he might as well catch up on some ZZzz. There wasn't much conversation to be had, I considered telling her sorry for her friend, but part of me won out in staying silent. Accidents weren't always accidents and with her being a target herself harm followed. I sat in the passenger seat and she took the back. She just focused on the road as V-dude went exactly to wear she had in mind. I was happy we were driving since walking out and about in this bullshit was not working for me.

We eventually pulled up to a building that was marked off by a fence and had a curved ceiling. It reminded me of the aircraft storage facilities you saw in movies. I had only seen them in movies at least. We pulled up to the fence which had to be 8 feet tall. V-dude motioned me to get out and Annika joined me. The gate was very much so locked. It had two layers of chains with two padlocks.

"Anything that helps with locks?" She asked. I had a few explosives that would explode it, but those were emergency only.

"Only things that are higher tech." I said since it was true. Padlocks were not an obstacle since often you could teleport to the other side. I teleported to the other side and turned around to see if she was satisfied. She had pulled open the locks and unhooked the chains. They must have not of been locked, but placed in a manner that had the illusion. Very grateful I didn't waste the charge.

"Can you teleport through all materials?" She said as she pushed the gates apart for V-dude to drive the SUV through.

"Most, I need a landing point that is safe." I said, the suit had stopped me from teleporting into a closet since there was not enough space for me. That was awkward trying to find a new hiding spot. She nodded and went back into the car. I did the same since we were going deeper into the compound. It was old military by the training set up I saw in the distance. That was where we were heading which showed me it was time to break out the agility skills. We drove up to the course and he completely stopped the car.

" Range?" She asked while we took in the heat that still remained in the car.

" Two blocks." I said.

"An actual measurement." She said and I realized that there was no way I could calculate the metric system correctly.

"Enough to always get out." I said hoping she would drop it.

"Number of jumps possible?" She asked and looked me up and down.

"20-25 per tube." I said and started to get a little uneasy about being interrogated. "What exactly is this for?"

"Extraction." She said quickly and then opened the door letting the chill hit. I guess we were getting out again. She had me prove my range and external weapons. It was hard to not let the weather effect me, but she barked orders well enough to motivate me to continue her tests. There was no look of wonder in her eyes as I managed to disappear and reappear. The only time she showed any approval was when I teleported her the full distance away. Unfortunately it used up my last juice so we had to trudge all the way back in the snow.

"Who am I extracting?" I asked since the crunch of snow under my feet made this worse.

"Maybe no one, Maybe someone." She said and took the fur lined hat she had worn and put it on my head. It definitely looked funny, but was instantly the warmest part of me. I had a noticeable shiver even with the coat. This cold just pierced deeper here in the open.

"What is the pay if it is someone?" I asked since I was still not a charity. She smiled a little.

"I doubt you want Rubles." She said and I almost laughed since I was not expecting Ice Queen to joke. "If you are needed you can go home all issues handled. "I believe a living arrangement in a warmer California with your debts settled may be arranged."

I didn't say anything since that was a little too spot on to what I wanted. Bossman must of said something to her, because there was no way she was that psychic. This time she had a full smile at my silence.

"I assume that is enough." She said right before we came back.

"That must a valuable someone." I muttered and that was the final word spoken until we got back to the hotel. Sure enough there were my previous empty tubes on the bed I had claimed, filled with Zynothium.

_Little note so Red Star can release Zynothium in it's raw form. That was what the tube room was filled with. They went to an old lab where Red Star was created hence why they knew it was abandoned. Also Red X is hella suspicious of Annika and there will be a moment in the next chapter it all comes together for him. Also Naomi was taken by the FBI for isolation purposes, not dead not relevant to the plot anymore. V-dude also may have worked out a deal with the FBI if Red X can cooperate he can get some immunity and a pay off. _


	11. Chapter 11

Things were starting to get more complicated, Annika had more secrets than she let on. Naomi had been a risk no one saw and I hoped that she would be the last. She was completely removed from the equation, but if there was a secret partner what else was there to uncover. One who could hide who she loved and was so completely might have a hidden army. What had happened the night before she came to the CIA? In the packet I had received it was a disagreement over wedding arrangement, but that now left up so much up in the air. Last night I had decided that this case needed to come to an end quickly so my emotions and others wouldn't get more frayed. Either my brother was here and we could get him out or I would have done all this sacrifice for a low pay out. I had initially thought I could handle such an alternative, but so many people were getting hurt by being involved with Annika and Peter. I felt bad for using Red Star as a crutch so much, but he never blamed me for it. He just told me it was okay and let me explode.

I also felt bad for how much Vaskevitch had to report back and get new orders. The deal of immunity for Red X had been Red Star's idea. If he could use his insider knowledge to get charges and actions linked across both continents he'd get some perks and a job. They wanted to have confirmed details on what his suit could actually accomplish. He held back since he had not used all the gadgets, but I had not known his limits in terms of distance. Robin was secretive with what he added to the suit even after it was turned against us. Secrets like that made me not trust his intentions. Did he truly not want to give us awareness on what we were up against or was his shame too deep? Fuck I did not to be a distraction to the mission myself.

Though this would be ended tonight though since Peter finally took the bait and invited me to see his grand project. I hoped it was what the CIA suspected and not a missile or something cliché. There was only so many death rays you could go against before the idea seemed cheap. Peter was not a cliché caped villain he did bad things to people and made it clear that it was him and his face behind it. It was mor respectful in that way since he did not lie about his horrors. He was an evil man and he could face his deeds.

I spent more time getting ready for tonight than any other event since being in Russia. If this was not the underground trafficking operation I would need to stay in Peter's good graces. If this was the operation, I needed to be ready to get as much evidence as possible and potential call for an extraction. The team CIA would not be unleashing a strike force unless there was undeniable evidence and confirmation of main base of operations and storage.

What does one wear to a sting? If I choice something too comfortable and functionally he might not fall for the act. I also did not want to have clothes hinder me in case something went wrong and I needed to get the team out. Red Star still was human and human vulnerabilities with him were rare, but not truly gone. Chemicals and drug weapons were his biggest weakness since that had been built in to his experimentation. Vaskevitch was extremely well trained with hostage situations, but he was still human to the bone. He held himself strong and confident, but I viewed him as fragile still. Red X with the belt could get out of anything. If he had to bolt early without Wildfire so be it, but I would be getting him free no matter what, if he was there. I could have some suspicions of what he had gone through relating to my own, but I needed to hold him and know he was safe with me.

With only 5 minutes before we left I settled on a black dress with sheer cut outs. It stretched enough not to hinder me and worked with boots. Time to get this party started.


	12. Chapter 12

There was more tension in the room than yesterday or any other point of Ice Queen's stay. It was felt by everyone. Annika had been in her room for hours getting ready and from the sound of hangers and thumps hitting the ground it was likely she had tried every outfit she had. Comrade had been on a smoke break on the roof for an hour though when I went up to check on him he wasn't there. V-dude was unloading and reloading his guns clip. It was contagious even I felt it as I kept flipping through channels though nothing felt right to watch. Comrade had filled me in that Bossman had invited Annika to his grand project. I had heard a variety of rumors of what happened below the club when I was guarding it, but I had not known what was true. I wasn't important enough to ever see it. Though I was roped in with Annika's guard now. It was weird with her so nervous, since she had seemed quite comfortable around him. Though her request for me to demonstrate my extraction skills made me more suspicious of her. Well I had been suspicious of her the whole time, but it seemed like something bad was going to happen particularly tonight.

Comrade came back into the room and I almost considered asking him where he had been, but it was almost like his energy and agitation was palpable. It didn't feel like chatting would break his tension. Like the room had gained a buzz when he walked in. He beforehand had discussed with me my plans after I left Russia. With Annika's deal on the table, it was clear he was trying to get me to take it. I mean at this point any way to get back to a warm English speaking country seemed worthy to jump at. The pay off here wasn't enough to keep me if my life wasn't in obvious risk back home. California also had a draw that once you left it you couldn't wait to get back there.

Finally Comrade made a movement which was to take the remote out of my hand. V-dude also stopped his loading repetition. It was like a candle had been blown out since his extra energy fell away.

"That is unnecessary, friend. We shall be leaving shortly so please be sure you are ready." I decided that I couldn't get more ready, but shifting to the bedroom would give me the appearance of needing to do something. I just double checked the room for anything I would take if this was my last night here. My bag was packed though I had tucked a layer of rubles under my suit in case there would be a need for petty cash. I doubted it, but it was a bit of comfort. I normally had at least an emergency hundred on me back home. Well once I had fully committed to this life and had money at all. It could get a bus ticket out of town or a motel overnight if you had to ay low and heal. Cash was easier to fade into the wind with. Plus less of a target in actuality. While most heist films showed them stealing physical cash most profits could be made online. Less of a chance to be shot or identified if done right.

I heard Annika's door open and decided to wait a few moments before joining them. I heard some words through the door, but not clearly enough to actually know what they said. I leaned against the door to hear them better since it sounded like English. Though that was quickly finished when V-dude opened the door outwards and I fell like a terrible sitcom skit. I quickly righted myself and noticed that Annika and Comrade were leaning forehead to forehead. Both had their arms on the others shoulder and while it didn't look particularly romantic it looked private. I got out of V-dudes way and moved past them to the door.

"Let's do this." I heard him whisper to her.

"Let's do this." She said back and the detached from their telepathic mind meld stance. She went to give V-dude a hug as well and said something that made him pat her back. He looked frazzled by the contact and whatever she said was nice. She adjusted something on his shoulders and I realized she was adjusting a Kevlar vest. We were getting bulletproof tonight. My suit was bullet resistant, but I didn't want to feel that pain if I could avoid it.

"No shame in living to fight another day." I heard her say as she let him go. It strangely reminded me of the movie the mummy which hopefully wouldn't be accurate of this night. I still felt like they knew something I didn't and I hated the feeling of walking in to a bad situation blind. I looked at Comrade for any hints but that buzz around him seemed to return and I didn't feel like I would be able to pierce it with a masked look.

She then turned to me and for some reason I was scared that a hug would be a signal I might die. Though that was not her action. She grabbed my right hand and entwined our fingers and gave three distinct squeezes then released.

"I will give you that signal if the mark is present. If you have considered my offer." She said and actually let some vulnerability sink into her green eyes. Fuck is that how she looked at everyone else. Like if you didn't do what she asked you might as well kick a kitten.

"And if I decided not to take it?" I asked since that had not been part of the conversation. She hardened back up for a moment before she fell back.

"I will be disappointed." She said simply. That was such an parent guilt trip answer.

"That's it?" I asked skeptically. That seemed to be not a huge consequence though her puppy dog eyes were powerful if they would be burned into my soul.

"It could be, it could be worse. You could be killed by Peter tonight, You could be killed by the Assassin trained by Brother Blood sent here, You could be killed by frostbite due to the weather, or you could be killed by your peanut allergy by the snickers bar Vaskevitch has on hand at all times. While refusing the offer will do nothing to hurt you it will remove protections put in place to let you consider. You also loose " She said with her switch going back to that Ice Queen persona. She was being genuine and then shut it off for my denial. I was needed somehow. Rude to go for the peanut allergy, but I had noticed those in his suitcase shrinking in number but never eating in front of me. She was desperate and I was her best shot at something.

"Good thing I intended to agree than." I said which was the truth the deal was good. I had nothing for me here and I was burnt out of being a stupid American popsicle. Comrade relaxed physically letting out a loud sigh of relief. He wanted me to be okay which was nice. The friendship between us seemed real and this was nice proof it was mutual. I mean real names weren't always the most important part in friendships.

The hug came and it was like hugging a tree. Strong, solid, and smelling pretty good. It was a good hug and probably the most positive contact I'd received here. "Thank you, Red X." She said and I let my arms wrap around her to return the hug. She was warm and grateful and those were things in short supply in Russia for me. Comrade joined in which did not surprise me but made me feel very dwarfed. I just needed to be friends with the trees.


End file.
